Toilet tissue rolls are conventionally in the form of a strip of toilet tissue wrapped about a central hollow core formed of paperboard or other material. Wound toilet tissue forms a plurality of convolutions about the core.
Toilet tissue rolls incorporating cores are commonly mounted on spindles passing through the core interior, the spindles themselves having the ends thereof disposed in opposed spaces defined by the dispensing holder.
Coreless rolls of toilet tissue have been finding increasing acceptance in the market place. In coreless rolls of toilet tissue, the innermost convolution of the wound sheet of toilet tissue itself defines a central opening. This opening is quite small and constricted as compared to the size of the central core opening of more conventional toilet tissue rolls with cores. While spindles have been devised for use when supporting coreless rolls, at least one of the spindle ends is quite small as compared to the ends of the spindles utilized to rotatably support rolls of toilet tissue having cores. As a consequence, existing conventional wall-mounted holders designed for use with rolls with cores are not suitable for use with coreless toilet tissue rolls or spindles specifically adapted for use with coreless toilet tissue rolls.
The following patents and patent publications are believed to be representative of the current state of the prior art in this field: U.S. Pat. No. 350,808, issued Oct. 12, 1886, U.S. Pat. No. 495,892, issued Apr. 18, 1893, U.S. Pat. No. 1,012,543, issued Dec. 19, 1911, U.S. Pat. No. 1,436,990, issued Nov. 28, 1922, U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,456, issued Sep. 2, 1941, U.S. Pat. No. 2,334,757, issued Nov. 23, 1943, U.S. Pat. No. 2,390,399, issued Dec. 4, 1945, U.S. Pat. No. 2,419,809, issued Apr. 29, 1947, U.S. Pat. No. 2,472,712, issued Jun. 7, 1949, U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,724, issued Aug. 12, 1952, U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,761, issued Jan. 27, 1953, U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,958, issued Dec. 15, 1992, Canadian Patent No. 833,971, issued Feb. 10, 1970, U.K. Patent specification No. 799,084, published Jul. 30, 1958, and U.K. Patent Application No. 2,126,988A, published Apr. 4, 1984.
The patents and patent publications indicated above do not disclose apparatus for holding and dispensing a coreless roll of toilet tissue which is retrofitted to a wall-mounted dispenser normally employed to support and dispense a conventional roll of toilet tissue having a central core.